Hardly Possible To Repel
by picklefin
Summary: A collection of KidLu one shots (AU/Canon-verse) Story 02: Luffy had always been his rival but deep inside, he had been harboring feelings for his competition. Now that the school dance is coming, will he really let it end like this? Fem!Luffy, school AU
1. Side Mission

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. This is fanfiction.**

 **Summary: Mission control said nothing about it but the mercenary couldn't just let the straw hatted boy fall into his demise. Additional action wouldn't hurt him anyway.**

 **Warning: slight KidLu, sci-fi AU, metal gear rising inspired, out of character, errors**

* * *

 **SIDE MISSION**

* * *

"Your mission had been to determine the whereabouts of the heads of the Kendiyo private military company, deemed responsible for the capture and withholding a diplomat from Alabasta."

The chief eyed the scrawny teen sheepishly smiling behind the mercenary's _metal clad_ figure. He looked underage, unfed and unkempt, a classic street rat. An outdated straw hat is perched on his head. X-Drake had nothing against children but it was the base of operations and no one is allowed inside without his permission or proper authorization. Not that he's a prude or what, they're running a private security and military company here for crying out loud, not a daycare center.

"So Kid…"

"Yeah?" The red-haired mercenary stared back.

X-Drake sighed. "What's with the kid?"

He looked calm but everyone knew the chief was ticked. The way he stood was rigid. A hand placed near his hip - near a holster, Kid presumed.

"Look, I'll keep him out of trouble. No need to get your fucking panties in a twist."

Another sigh was heard in the room, this time from the mission support team. Neither Killer nor Bonney were informed of Kid's _haul_. Given that the enemy had chaffed the facility, disenabling further communications when the mercenary descended underground. All they know was that he was able to make it out in one piece as indicated by his vitals.

The boy finally disengaged himself from the mercenary and decided to introduce himself. He assumed that if they were Kid's friends, they must be good people too. He beamed a smile.

"Hi, I'm Luffy! Nice to meet you all! But I'm not a kid – I'm already nineteen."

His stomach grumbled on cue, earning a chuckle from Apoo who had been curious as well.

"Eustass-ya, I know you don't require nourishment but you could have at least given the boy something." The cybernetics expert looked at the boy, visibly amused.

Kid could have sworn that the damn scientist had something sinister in his thoughts again. He didn't bring Luffy here to subject him to the same fate he would have had if Kid weren't there to save him. A course of action not entailed in the mission briefing.

Then everyone looked at Bonney who had two boxes of large sized pizza on her station.

"What?"

When she heard another rumble from the boy, she begrudgingly offered Luffy a piece of her pizza to which the teen happily gobbled up – no, breathe in.

But a measly piece of pizza wasn't enough to dent the gaping hole of his hunger as they heard the same echoing sound from the boy's stomach. Kid scratched his nose as everyone now squinted at him.

"I'll take him to the dining area."

* * *

After eating several potful's of rice and stew (which thoroughly exhausted the cook, bless his soul, and baffled Kid), the boy finally felt sleepy. Luffy literally doze off after cleaning off his umpteenth serving. So the mercenary took it upon himself to carry the boy towards his sleeping quarters. No one slept on the lower bunk anyway – or at the top, for that matter. He never used his bed for sleeping.

The chief allowed him to let the boy stay, given that Luffy would do menial work around and Law would be allowed to perform minor tests on the escaped _experiment_. Kid had almost punched the smug smile off the scientist face when Law shove into his face a folder detailing the scientist's plans. The redhead carefully skimmed through it and realized they were pretty harmless, nothing too intrusive.

Still, he requested to be around whenever Law performs any of the test.

"Why Eustass-ya, I hadn't peg you for someone so caring."

"You're a fucking creep and ya know that."

"While I appreciate the compliment, you do understand I can't possibly be so mindful of your _itinerary_ just to accommodate your request, no matter how kindly you placed it."

"Look, I know... I know. But I just don't... Don't be too harsh on Luffy."

"Eustass cares, what a surprise! Might I know the reason behind this change of heart? Figuratively, that is."

"That's it, I'll fucking –"

Killer tried to restrain him but only managed to _soften_ the blow. However, the punch only dented the steel wall behind the scientist. Law dodged it completely, the frequency of the scenario apparent. He gave the other another smirk and was about to say a probably witty comeback but the mission support technician glared at him through his mask (not sure how Killer did that, but Law definitely felt it). So Law guaranteed the clearly agitated Kid that he won't be doing anything bad to Luffy.

"I promise I'll be gentle with your Luffy."

The mercenary snarled at him.

"Don't worry, Kid. I'll look after Luffy when you're out on a mission." Killer assured. Then he turned to the scientist, "And Law... "

Law held his hands up in surrender and walked off. "Okay, okay... I'll just go grab my fifth coffee now"

Kid muttered a silent thanks - maybe to Killer's assurance or to Law finally leaving.

To say the days that followed after were refreshing was an understatement. It had thrown most of them off their usual cycle. Luffy had unexpectedly wedged himself into their routine. The chief had initially given him the task of being everyone's coffee boy and occasionally, their errand runner. But he often stayed too long in one station, either talking off the ear of whoever was there or listening animatedly to whatever was shared to him – unless it was too technical.

Even Capone from the finance department found him somewhat interesting.

However, at the end of each day, when the mercenary had finished his training and the necessary maintenance he had to undergo daily, Luffy would spring back to Kid and tell him how his day had been, asking the red-haired man how his was afterwards.

It was a breath of fresh air.

Though they did have their share of headaches with the straw hatted teen's clumsiness and zealousness.

* * *

It was during the night after he had just returned from the second S-class mission he had since Luffy came that the boy had seen him having his usually rare episode.

Kid had been quietly resting on the upper bunk when a suppressed memory flashed before his mind. He violently trashed around until he fell off the bed, Luffy long awakened. He tossed around – his mechanical arm clinking against the similar yet less expensive material of the desk and the bed, soundlessly screaming. Then all of a sudden, he felt a weight on his middle.

He felt Luffy's warm hands on his face, as the boy repeatedly told him to calm down while smiling. Continuing to do so, even if Kid had accidentally hit him on the face. It eventually calmed the mercenary down.

The next morning, he felt angry – really angry. Kid was fuming. He was mad. Marching to the infirmary, he was welcomed by the boy's bruised smiling face. And it only made him more infuriated. So he lashed out to the boy, scolded Luffy – telling him he had been real stupid and that he should not have done that. Luffy scratched the back of his head and said sorry when in fact, it was his forgiveness that Kid actually wanted.

He wasn't mad at Luffy – he was mad at himself.

Bonney patted his shoulder, telling him not to blame himself. It was nobody's fault. Everyone understood and she was sure Luffy would too.

But Kid had already appealed to be transferred into another room. The only other room available was where the communications director was. He didn't want to share a space with Apoo but it'll have to do for now, until he finds another arrangement.

For the rest of the week, he avoided Luffy. Until Killer approached him.

"Luffy, snuck out yesterday and slept on the streets."

"WHAT?"

"The night guard saw him sneak out and trailed him only to stop at a nearby convenience store where he dozed off a homeless family's cardboard. Urouge didn't have the heart to wake the exhausted boy. So the guy carried him back with the cardboard." Killer explained.

"Lu… "

"Kid, I know you're afraid you'd hurt him. But Luffy misses you, he really does. You should talk to him."

"But… "

"I'm sure he'll let it go."

He didn't mean for Luffy to blame himself. Honestly, just what had Bonney said – it wasn't his fault, it wasn't anyone's at all. It was a high time this mess was sorted. He was about to go to the artillery department when he saw the scientist lurking in the hall, looking at him with concern. As he passed by, Law spoke.

"I saw Luffy go by the chief's office."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't like what the kid is planning and I'm pretty sure you don't, too."

Kid's eyes widened and stormed the chief's office in a hurry. When he saw that Luffy wasn't there anymore, he immediately left and ran towards the security room. X-Drake wasn't sure what exactly is happening.

Using his mechanical legs, Kid ran. He didn't want Luffy to leave. He knew what the world was like for people like Luffy – for people like he was before as well. And he was getting used to the boy's company. He sorely missed the other during the time he avoided him.

* * *

Kid remembers the day he first met Luffy.

His mission led him to an underground facility where he saw a boy wearing something reserved for hospital patients, running away from two unmanned autonomous fighting vehicles – bipedal war machines called Gekkos. They were slightly shorter than a Pacifista and had machine gun turrets on its head, firing tranquilizer rounds.

He made short work of the AI weapons with his new enhancements and improved utilization of the nanomachines in his full metal body, rather at least mostly mechanic except for his head. He then asked the boy where he had come from and eventually where the laboratory he had escaped from was.

However, the boy didn't respond right away as he stared at the mercenary with starry eyes and happily cheered at the _cyborg ninja_ – at Kid. He was about to leave the boy to his own amusement and find the lab himself when he noticed the odd holes at the back of the boy's neck.

When asked about it, the boy just told him how the people in white are about to get their brains and he was glad for the cyborg ninja – glad that Kid was there. He didn't understand it much coming from the boy but he told him to stay beside him. From that point, Kid felt protective towards the smiling stranger he just met.

It was when he entered the laboratory and analyzed the data inside that he understood what Luffy's fate was. The organization was gathering strays and pre-conditioning their brains until the specialist comes and extracts the said organs. These are then attached to humanoid bodies and are commissioned as hired soldiers – fighters without morals and hesitation, only programmed skills and experience.

Like child soldiers.

Just like how he had been.

It had been the reason why he was adamant about keeping Luffy around (as the rest of the boy's companions weren't as lucky). The boy's brain had already been pre-conditioned to store combat data thus it was impossible to assimilate him to a perfectly normal environment.

But as the days Luffy spent with them had become far too many to count, he had inevitably became part of them – their odd _family_.

For Kid, however, it was more than that. For him, the boy made him felt _more human_ again. He couldn't exactly explain it but when he sees Luffy smile, hears Luffy telling him about his day and feels the presence of the straw hatted teen around, he felt _alive_.

He felt selfish but he needed Luffy to stay.

* * *

Kid found Luffy sitting at one of the crates in the helipad area.

As soon as Luffy sensed Kid around, he turned towards the mercenary and beamed an ear to ear smile. But to Kid, it looked painful. Not that it was stretched too wide on his face – no, his eyes didn't express the same mirth as those lips. Luffy was sad and Kid knew it.

The mercenary sat beside the straw hatted teen.

"Hey, I just dropped by the chief's office and got these bunch of paper. Look at this – I've never owned this much paper. But I bet Traffy has loads of these. Anyway, I'm going to transfer to the… "He scrunched his nose and showed the name of the facility instead.

"The Gurlukovich-Emmerich Eastern branch, huh?" Just uttering the name of the place already made him feel lonely.

"Yeah that, I'm going to go back inside soon and say goodbye to everyone. But I'm glad I get to say bye to you first."

"Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want to say goodbye to me first?"

Luffy didn't respond immediately. Instead, his head just hung low as he looked at his feet, clutching the envelope in his lap. The straw hat obscured his eyes as he replied, "If I said goodbye to you last, I might not be able to go."

If Kid still had a heart made of flesh and pumped blood, he was sure it would be beating rapidly right now – like a piston completing a cycle in a combustion engine. But he wasn't sure what to do. It had been long since he felt so _human_. So he placed an artificial hand, covered with synthetic skin over the boy's natural hand.

"It wasn't your fault… it wasn't anyone's."

Luffy stared at him with glistened eyes.

"Don't go…"

His amber eyes, one of the few features of his body that was still _human_ , held the other's gaze as his next words barely escaped his lips.

"Please."

When the sun finally set down, they made their way down to the common hall. Luffy was back to his usual sunny spirit and ran towards Bonney, hugging the pink-haired woman who patted his head.

"Man, you're creepy when you smile." Apoo commented as he approached the red-haired mercenary.

Kid couldn't help it.

Because when Luffy told him he won't go through the transfer anymore and consider joining the team for good – Kid cracked a smile. It had been long while since he last did.

 **-End-**

* * *

 **A/N: Anyway, just wrote this to read more of KidLu :')**


	2. Rivals

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is fanfiction.**

 **Summary: Luffy had always been his rival but deep inside, he had been harboring feelings for his competition. Now that the school dance is coming, will he really let it end like this?**

 **Warning: Fem!Luffy, KidLu, delinquent school AU, out of character yes, errors**

* * *

 **RIVALS**

* * *

 _It's her._

Kid peered from the window of his classroom on the third floor. Luffy was at it again, making another suspicious friend – _ally_ , he meant to say ally. It was natural, he supposes. He, too, had formed temporary alliances with some people in his year level so he could successfully take over the school and be its _King_.

The ruler of this school for delinquents.

Ever since New World High had been established, mostly delinquents have enrolled in the institution and it showed no sign of changing its reputation any time soon. Rumors even said that it was the will of the founder, a mysterious Mr. Roger. The strongest and most influential high school student is deemed as its King.

He was on his second year when he heard about her – about Luffy. She was a freshman back then but had already gathered a massive amount of following a few months in. It peaked his curiosity but he remained unimpressed. It could just be because her crew was strong. The people she had folded into her ranks were formidable. And it could also be because of her cuteness making people want to protect her.

 _Shit, I did not just mentally admit that._

But it was a little later that year when his assumptions about her were slapped – no, smacked away from the back of his head.

A gang from a delinquent school at another district threatened to invade their school. As it were time for tests, only three students were allowed to _sneak out_ , sanctioned by the old vice-principal. An amused senior, an agitated junior and a pumped up freshman – Him and her, and that morbid upperclassman who kept on sending compliments at her direction.

It irked him a little to discover that she doesn't even know him or his reputation. He told her to better keep tab of her opponents which she simply brushed off by laughing and telling him that she find his goggles real cool. The straw hatted teen then proceeded to catapult herself to the enemies and punched the hell out of the goons surrounding her, smiling afterwards like it was nothing.

Admiration – it hit him straight through.

That was the day Kid officially deemed Luffy as a respectable _rival_ and Trafalgar, an irritating man he sure was glad the prick was graduating that year. It wasn't because Trafalgar kept flirting with the girl, he just hated the smug look on the man's face. (But fortune wasn't on Kid's side as Law opted to stay another year at high school for his own amusement)

Since then, it seems everywhere he goes, Luffy was there. He'd scowl at her, remind her that they were rivals and leave before she could invite him to eat, to play at the arcade or to mess around and do pranks. But even so, she'd still smile at him as soon as she saw him and it was making him internally melt.

Maybe there was some times he'd let himself be taken by her charms. If he was honest, he'd say it was fun trying to win against each other in every game they came across. He liked how she'd give it her all, passionate even at the simplest of things. He liked how crazy she was, defiant and undefined. He liked the feeling of her leaning on his back whenever they rode his motorbike and the sound of her laughter coasting along the wind.

But before he let himself be taken into her pace completely, he stopped himself, afraid perhaps – no, he insisted that it wasn't the case. So he made himself busy, picking fights everywhere and anywhere except near her. But she'd always find a way to get under his skin, to worm her way into his life.

He decided he didn't want to be near her because it was irritating – the way she was making him feel.

So when he heard Luffy and Trafalgar had formed a _temporary alliance_ , he laughed, announced that he was rather amused at this development, even agreed when Killer suggested they do the same with other powerhouses. Only Heat frowned a bit at his reaction. Somehow, he had the feeling the other knew that he felt like dying a little on the inside.

But he went on with what he usually did, trying to ignore that whenever he sees her, the other man was always around as well – much more often than her own crew, he thought. Though it could be just him assuming things through this jealousy-lidded glasses.

 _What jealousy?_

He fought, drank and fought some more that stupid thought away. In the recesses of his mind, the thought of seeing her happy was good enough for him. But was it really? Kid insisted that he and Luffy being rivals for the throne was the only relationship appropriate for the two of them.

So why does he always think of her – of her being with him, together?

"You like her, don't you?" Kid almost crushed the can of soda in his hand upon hearing Apoo's nonchalant comment, noting that Kid had been staring at the girl outside the room for quite some time already. The aspiring DJ was another agitating bastard but he was now his ally, along with Hawkins, the resident fortune teller. Both seniors just like him.

"WHA – "

"There's a 76% chance that you like her." Hawkins cut him off with his obvious prediction. Kid glared at the man who continued to rearrange and pick on his cards. Apoo, however, scratched his head and frowned, somehow disappointed. "Eh? I thought I got it on point… that's barely a passing mark –"

Then Hawkins added, "And a 87% chance that you are secretly in love with her, despairing against yourself whether you should admit it. While there's a 93% chance, you'd like to spend forever with her."

"Shoot me if that wasn't cheesy as fuck. Didn't know the cards can show that much." Apoo snickered to which Hawkins calmly responded with his usual deadpan manner. "It wasn't necessary to read the cards to know so."

Kid _fumed_ and gritted his teeth, fists tightly clenched.

It amused Apoo further. He scooted over at the red-faced red-haired and decided to rub it in. "Oi, Kid… you know you're almost as red as your hair right now." He snickered some more and even the edge of Hawkins' closed lips upturned a bit.

"FUCK OFF!" Kid yelled as he threw a desk at their direction which Apoo easily evaded and didn't hit Hawkins (it wasn't his fate to be the victim of Kid's _rage_ ). The occult enthusiast gathered his cards and excused himself since his class was starting soon anyway. Before he skipped outside, Apoo threw in an encouragement for good measure. "Good luck, cherry boy!"

Kid threw another desk towards the door. When were people allowed to tease him? More importantly, why had he allowed that issue to rile him up?

"You know, you should just ask her to the dance." Killer gave his shoulder a soft pat.

"Killer…" He hissed.

The masked blonde shrugged and waved his hands off. "I'm just saying. It's our last year after all."

* * *

He wasn't being a stalker. No, he wasn't.

Kid was just waiting for an opportunity, a good time to ask her. He decided to humor Killer, to humor himself. Maybe if he just got this over with – he'd get over her too. Just spend a bit of time with her or just ask her to this stupid dance even (no matter how unruly their school was, the students' affairs coordinator insisted there should be events for students to _flamingle_ ). Maybe this phase of him will soon pass. It's just a phase, he mentally emphasized.

But the hours he spent waiting for an opportune time turned to days and before he knew it, a week passed by. The dance was just couple of days from now. He had succeeded in glaring away potential competition – he meant, other people who might have wanted to ask Luffy to the dance.

That was until Trafalgar asked Luffy to meet him at the back of the school after class.

He saw the two of them, under the old poplar tree. And there was something about the sight that didn't sit well with him. But when the tall male began to spoke, a voice nagged Kid from the back of his head.

 _Can he keep on doing this… from a distance?_

Sure he doesn't know where to start, doesn't know how he could get close. A moment of her time seems impossible for him. His mind juggled for the right words to say. Should he just abort this mission after all? He internally cursed himself for being so indecisive and insecure at the moment.

But she had always been in his mind – he feels like they belong together. He can't keep on feeling the way he does, can't keep on hiding what's in his heart. He doesn't know if she feels the same way but how would he know if he doesn't let her know – if he doesn't let himself know what she might say. He decided he'll figure it out from there.

But now, he needs to make a move, give himself a chance – before someone else comes through, before the ship completely sinks. And he was a delinquent for fuck's sake! Like a pirate who goes for things they want without regrets, he goes for it. Finally.

Damn, if his legs didn't move on its own and ran towards them. He grabbed Luffy's hand and ran further until the slightly surprised Trafalgar was out of sight.

"Shishishishi! That was fun, we should that again!" Luffy laughed.

"Ah… ermm… uhh…" Kid scratched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks dusted with some shades lighter than his hair.

"Huh? What is it Kid?" She looked at him wide-eyed as he slightly fidgeted. After a while, she sighed and patted his shoulder. "Uh, are you alright? If you're hungry, come eat with me after I talk to Traffy. I dunno but he has something to say about plans or something. So see you, 'kay?"

Luffy grinned and started to walk off.

"STRAW HAT!" He blurted out. The girl turned back to him and tilted her head sideways. Kid walked towards her and stopped at short distance.

"Luffy… will you go out with me? To the dance?"

He wasn't able to stop a smile from etching into his face when she beamed a smile and said yes, the first of many during their long, long time together. Though there'd be more times he'd say it to her. But Kid sure was glad he didn't let himself keep on loving her from distance.

 **-End-**

* * *

 **A/N: Haha, I know the school doesn't make much sense but I guess it was something like the Ishiyama High from the Beelzebub manga. Almost forgot I had this story on stock 0.0**


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